


Adhering to Their Enemies

by CaptainJZH



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Government Conspiracy, Headcanon, Rebellion, Rose and White Diamond worked together to shatter Pink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 17:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11063622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJZH/pseuds/CaptainJZH
Summary: Some say Rose Quartz couldn’t have shattered Pink Diamond. Well, she could, but not without help. And she did have help. And it came from the very top.





	Adhering to Their Enemies

It was almost one thousand years since the rebellion had begun. In fact, the anniversary was next week, at least according to Pearl.

Rose chuckled. It was just like Pearl to keep track of such things, long after everyone else had fallen into the routines and lost any sense of time.

They had suffered heavy losses in the past battle, though according to their spies Homeworld wasn’t doing too hot either. The official estimates placed the number of shattered or missing Gems for that month alone at seven hundred and seventy-two. The Crystal Gems had stopped counting their fallen comrades some several centuries ago.

Rose was lying down in an empty corner of their base, exhausted from a long day of battle planning and reconnaissance interpretation.

She sighed. In the end, she kept telling herself it was all worth it if it meant saving the Earth, but anxious thoughts kept creeping to the surface. Thoughts of losing, thoughts of being shattered, thoughts of the planet becoming even worse off than it was before the Rebellion… All of humanity lost, save for those still contained in the Zoo.

“Rose?” she heard Pearl ask in the doorway.

“Yes?”

“Garnet and I just finished planning the next raid. I would like your feedback-”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Rose said, not moving from her position.

“Rose, are you-?”

“I’m good, Pearl. Really. Just...implement it as soon as possible.”

Rose got up and rubbed her eyes.

“I’m going out. For a walk. Hold down the fort while I’m gone, okay?”

“I will,” Pearl said, smiling.

Rose cracked a little smile too, but left before Pearl could make anything out of it.

Pearl sighed. This kind of behavior from Rose had started about three hundred years earlier, but recently it seemed to be getting worse.

“Maybe a walk will clear her head,” Pearl thought.

\---

Rose hadn’t had a quiet walk through a forest in five hundred years. It felt good, reminding her of the days when she had first arrived on Earth, when she first took in the planet’s sweet air.

She smiled, looking down at the woodland creatures scurrying about. Eventually, she reached a small area to rest at, sitting down on a log. She looked up at the sky, moonlight filtering through the trees. Now she remembered what she was fighting for.

Suddenly, a loud stomping noise was heard in the distance. Rose stood up with a jolt. The stomps grew louder and louder as they got closer, and Rose summoned her shield.

“Who’s there?” Rose called out.

The rows of tall trees in front of her fell to their sides. Rose began to step backwards nervously.

(If this had happened only a decade earlier, she probably wouldn’t have done that, her subconscious rang out)

The row of trees directly ahead parted, revealing a tall, cloaked figure dressed in white. Rose could only gulp.

White Diamond.

“Hello, Rose Quartz.”

Rose mustered all the determination she could and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I have a proposition for you.”

“I thought Homeworld didn’t negotiate with rebels.”

“These terms are non-negotiable,” White Diamond said, “But they will benefit us both.”

“What do you want?” Rose asked, her brow furrowing in suspicion.

“An end to this war. An end by any means necessary.”

“What kind of means?”

“The shattering of Pink Diamond.”

Rose's eyes widened in surprise. She was completely speechless. White continued, kneeling down to Rose's level.

“Pink is stubborn and, quite frankly, completely inept at leading troops. This war is costing us more than what is acceptable, and while my fellow Diamonds want an end to this war as much as I do, removing Pink from Earth’s control is something neither want to do. And me doing it myself would likely spark even more disagreement within the Authority, possibly dragging the entire galaxy into a costly civil war.”

“So you want me to shatter her so you'll have an excuse to abandon Earth altogether…” Rose figured out.

“You’re smart for a Quartz. It's a shame Pink had all your fellows bubbled away.”

“Why do you expect me to trust you?”

“I don't expect you to do anything. All I can say is that in one week, Pink Diamond will go on a brief tour of the Earth’s surface. Her entourage will be silenced from warning her, her guard will be replaced with far less competent soldiers than needed, and her Palanquin will stop for a moment, Pink stepping out into the open.”

“I won't,” Rose affirmed, “No Intentional Shattering has been the Crystal Gems’ bedrock principle for a thousand years and you have no idea what I've had to do to keep it that way.”

“And at what cost? What do you plan to after this? Pink will not give up. That much is certain. If she was the giving-up type, this war would be over by now. Even if you do win this planet ‘fairly,’ what's stopping us from sending more troops? The only reason we haven't is because of Pink’s belief that she can win this all on her own.”

“What's stopping you from just doing that after I shatter her?”

“Though she won't admit it to Pink, Yellow has come to believe that this planet is tainted somehow. Blue’s a bit more lenient, but all she needs is an emotional reason to give her that push. Neither of them will want anything to do with this planet after the war is over. And it will be over, Rose Quartz. With Pink’s shattering, I can promise you the swift evacuation of Homeworld forces from this planet. That will be the end of it.”

Rose paused for a moment.

“Even if I agreed, I have no way of shattering a Gem on my own. None of my weapons are capable of it.”

White cracked a little smile.

“I had a feeling that would be the case. You just have to make it look like you and you alone shattered her, then present her gem to me at a later time.”

“...You would shatter a fellow Diamond?”

“Surprising accusation for someone who led a war against her own kind.”

Rose was about to say something in retort, but couldn’t find the words.

“You have seven Earth days. A double agent of yours will be provided with the necessary specifics during that time.”

Just as White Diamond turned around, she stopped and looked back at Rose.

“Oh, and how’s Pearl?”

Rose didn’t know how to answer.

“I haven’t replaced her, you know. The others don’t understand why,” White chucked, “If this doesn’t work out, just let her know her old job is always open.”

As White disappeared into the mesh of towering trees, Rose sat back down on the log.

She would have a lot of thinking to do.


End file.
